Cooking Terms

Pasta or vegetables cooked until firm to the bite — tender but with a slight resistance at the center. From the Italian for "to the tooth." The standard for properly cooked pasta.

Vegetables, herbs, and spices added at the beginning of cooking to build the flavor base of a dish. Classic aromatics: onion, garlic, celery, carrot. They go in the fat first, before liquid, to bloom their flavor.

A dish finished with breadcrumbs or grated cheese and browned under a broiler or in a hot oven until a golden crust forms. Common in casseroles and potato dishes.

Served with the natural juices released by the meat during cooking, concentrated in the roasting pan. No thickening agent — just the pure drippings, deglazed.

A water bath: a pan of hot water used to gently cook delicate foods like custards, cheesecakes, and terrines by surrounding them with even, moderate heat. The water never exceeds 212°F (100°C), protecting sensitive proteins from scrambling.

To spoon or brush pan juices, fat, or a liquid over food during cooking to keep the surface moist and add flavor. Common in roasting — repeated every 20–30 minutes.

To briefly cook food in rapidly boiling water (30 seconds to 2 minutes), then immediately plunge it into ice water to stop cooking. Preserves color and texture. Used for vegetables before freezing or finishing in another way.

To cook food slowly in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid. Usually starts with browning the food first (to develop flavor), then low, slow, moist heat breaks down tough cuts into tender ones.

A saltwater solution used to season and sometimes tenderize food before cooking. Wet brine: food submerged in salted water. Dry brine: salt rubbed directly onto the surface.

To cook food directly under a high-heat oven element — the oven equivalent of grilling. Used to brown tops, melt cheese, or finish dishes that need direct overhead heat.

To cook food at high heat until the surface darkens and develops flavor through the Maillard reaction. Browning is different from burning — it adds color and deep savory notes. Requires dry heat and a dry surface.

To cut meat, poultry, or seafood almost in half lengthwise and open it flat like a book. Reduces thickness for even, faster cooking.

To cook sugar until it melts, darkens, and develops complex flavor — or, in the case of onions and other vegetables, to cook them slowly until their natural sugars develop sweetness and depth. Takes longer than most recipes suggest: 30–45 minutes for onions done properly.

Thin, ribbon-like strips of leafy herbs or greens. Stack the leaves, roll tightly, and slice crosswise into fine ribbons. Used as a garnish or to finish dishes.

To remove impurities and milk solids from butter by melting it slowly and skimming off the foam, leaving pure golden fat. Clarified butter has a higher smoke point and longer shelf life. Also: to remove impurities from broth to produce a clear liquid.

To preserve food by drawing out moisture using salt, sugar, smoke, or acid. Curing changes the texture and flavor of the food — bacon, prosciutto, and gravlax are all cured.

To add liquid to a hot pan after browning in order to dissolve the browned bits (fond) stuck to the bottom. The liquid — wine, broth, or water — loosens the fond and incorporates it into a sauce. The basis of nearly every pan sauce.

To cut food into small, uniform cubes. Small dice: ¼ inch. Medium dice: ½ inch. Large dice: ¾ inch. Uniform size ensures even cooking.

To coat food in a dry ingredient — flour, breadcrumbs, or cornmeal — before cooking. Creates a crust that helps with browning and provides texture.

To sprinkle a very thin, even coating of flour, sugar, or cocoa over a surface or finished dish. A light application only.

To combine two liquids that don't naturally mix — usually oil and water — into a stable, uniform mixture. Requires an emulsifier (egg yolk, mustard, lecithin) and mechanical action. Mayonnaise, vinaigrette, and hollandaise are all emulsions.

To gently combine a lighter mixture into a heavier one using a slow, deliberate scooping and turning motion rather than stirring. Preserves the air in the lighter mixture. Used with whipped cream, beaten egg whites, and delicate batters.

The browned bits of food stuck to the bottom of a pan after cooking meat or vegetables. Concentrated flavor. Deglazing dissolves the fond into the cooking liquid and forms the base of a pan sauce.

To cook food in hot fat. Pan fry: in a shallow layer of fat. Deep fry: fully submerged. Shallow fry: partially submerged, turned once.

To coat food with a thin, glossy liquid that sets during cooking, adding shine and flavor. Sweet glazes: sugar-based. Savory glazes: reduced broth or pan juices.

To coat the inside of a pan with fat — butter, oil, or cooking spray — to prevent food from sticking.

To steep an ingredient in liquid to extract its flavor without using direct heat — or over very gentle heat. Garlic in warm olive oil, herbs in hot cream, or chili flakes in oil are all infusions. The liquid becomes the flavored medium.

To cut vegetables into thin, uniform matchstick-shaped strips, approximately 2–3 inches long and ⅛ inch thick. Used for salads, stir-fries, and garnishes.

To work dough by repeatedly folding, pressing, and stretching to develop gluten structure. Good kneading makes dough smooth and elastic. Under-kneaded dough tears; properly kneaded dough stretches without breaking.

Rendered pork fat used as a cooking fat. Historically used widely — still prized for flaky pie crusts and frying. High smoke point, neutral flavor when rendered correctly.

To soften and draw juice from fruit by soaking it in liquid, sugar, alcohol, or acid. Similar to marinating but used specifically for fruit. The extracted liquid becomes a flavorful syrup.

To soak food in a seasoned liquid before cooking to add flavor, and sometimes to tenderize. Acid (vinegar, citrus) tenderizes; oil carries fat-soluble flavor; aromatics flavor the surface.

To chop food into very fine, irregular pieces — finer than a dice. Used for garlic, shallots, herbs, and anything that should disappear into a dish rather than be distinct pieces.

French for "everything in its place." Having all ingredients measured, prepped, and organized before cooking begins. Not a technique — a discipline. Eliminates the scramble, prevents mistakes.

A flavor base of diced onion, celery, and carrot in a 2:1:1 ratio. The foundation of countless soups, stews, and braises. Sweat in fat before adding liquid.

To partially cook food in boiling water, then finish it by another method — roasting, grilling, or sautéing. Used to shorten cooking time and ensure even doneness in the final step.

To gently cook food fully submerged in barely simmering liquid — 160–180°F. Lower and slower than simmering. Used for eggs, fish, and chicken to keep them tender.

To let shaped yeast dough rise before baking (final proof). Also: to test whether yeast is active by dissolving it in warm liquid with a little sugar and waiting for it to foam — if it doesn't, the yeast is dead.

To process or blend food until completely smooth. Done with a blender, food processor, or food mill.

To simmer a liquid — stock, sauce, wine — until some of it evaporates, concentrating flavor and thickening consistency. The longer you reduce, the more concentrated and syrupy the result.

To melt fat from meat by cooking it slowly over low heat. Bacon, duck skin, and sausage are rendered — their fat becomes the cooking medium for everything else in the pan.

To let cooked meat sit off heat before cutting. As meat cooks, juices move to the center. Resting allows them to redistribute throughout. Cut too early and they run out onto the board. 5–10 minutes for chicken; 15–30 for a roast.

To cook food uncovered in a hot oven using dry heat. Produces browning and caramelization on the surface. High heat roasting (400°F+) creates a crust; lower temperatures (325°F) cook more gently.

To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat over medium-high to high heat, stirring or moving frequently. From the French "sauter" — to jump. Food should move in the pan, not sit still.

To cut shallow lines or crosshatch patterns into the surface of meat, fish, or bread. Controls expansion during cooking, helps marinades penetrate, and allows fat to render from skin.

To cook the surface of food at high heat until deeply browned, forming a crust. Creates flavor through the Maillard reaction. Done in a very hot, dry or lightly oiled pan. Not to "seal in juices" — that's a myth. The crust is the point.

To add salt and other seasonings to improve flavor. Also: to build up a protective coating on cast iron by heating oil into the surface. "Season to taste" means taste as you go and adjust until it's right.

To cook liquid at just below a boil — small bubbles breaking the surface gently, around 185–205°F. More controlled than boiling. Used for soups, braises, and sauces that need time without agitation.

To cook food suspended above (not in) boiling water, using the rising steam to cook it. Preserves moisture, nutrients, and delicate texture. Requires a steamer basket or trivet.

To soak an ingredient in hot liquid off the heat to extract flavor — like tea leaves, spices, or herbs. Distinct from infusing in that no active heat is maintained.

To cook vegetables in a small amount of fat over low to medium heat until soft and translucent, without browning. The goal is softness and flavor release, not color.

To gradually raise the temperature of a sensitive ingredient — eggs, chocolate — by slowly adding small amounts of hot liquid before combining fully. Prevents scrambled eggs when making custard; prevents chocolate from seizing.

To tie poultry with kitchen twine to hold its legs and wings close to the body during roasting. Promotes even cooking and a more uniform shape.

To beat ingredients vigorously with a whisk, either to combine them or to incorporate air. A whisk moves in a rapid circular or figure-eight motion. Different from stirring — the goal is often aeration.

To cook leafy greens briefly in a pan until they collapse from the heat and lose their raw stiffness. Spinach takes 1–2 minutes; kale takes longer. Add greens to a hot pan or directly to liquid.

The outermost layer of citrus peel, where the aromatic oils are concentrated. To zest: scrape the colored outer layer using a microplane or fine grater. Avoid the white pith beneath — it is bitter. Also refers to the scraped peel itself.